The jail, bond court, and courts in Spartanburg County
Every office a bail question in Spartanburg County passes through, with the address and phone number from each office's own website. Hours and procedures can change; call before you go.
What happens after an arrest in Spartanburg County
- Arrest and booking. Spartanburg Police, the Sheriff's Office, town police departments, and the Highway Patrol book people at the Spartanburg County Detention Center, 950 California Avenue. The Sheriff's Office posts a bookings search.
- Bond hearing. State law requires a bond hearing within 24 hours of arrest for a bailable offense (S.C. Code § 22-5-510). The Sheriff's Office says magistrates usually hold bond hearings at the detention center every day at 11 a.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m., and midnight, and after that as needed. Some serious charges can only have bond set by a circuit judge.
- Bond is set. The law starts from release on a personal recognizance bond, a written promise to appear. The judge can instead require a surety bond and add conditions (S.C. Code § 17-15-10). See how bail works.
- Posting bond. Pay cash, deposit up to 10% in cash if the judge allows it, use a property owner as an accommodation surety, or hire a licensed bondsman. Release must happen within four hours after the bond is delivered to the jail.
- Court dates. The first court date is on the bond paperwork or ticket. Missing any court date can lead to a bench warrant and forfeiture of the bond. See missed court dates.
- End of the case. When the case ends, the bond ends. A bondsman must return collateral within ten days after liability on the bond ends, unless a bench warrant has been issued (S.C. Code § 38-53-170). See getting collateral back.
For a DUI arrest, the DMV deadline is separate from bond: our sister site SpartanburgDUI.com explains the 30-day hearing request.
The detention center and bond court
Call the detention center to confirm someone is in custody and what their bond is. If someone calls asking you to pay a bond over the phone or by gift card, hang up and call these numbers yourself.
Spartanburg County Detention Center
950 California Avenue, Spartanburg, SC 29303
Run by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office; the county's intake center. The number is the detention center front desk. Bookings search: spartanburgsheriff.org/258/Bookings-Search.
Spartanburg County Bond Court (Detention Center)
950 California Avenue, Spartanburg, SC 29303
Magistrates' bond court office inside the detention center. Bond hearings are usually held every day at 11 a.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m., and midnight, and after that as needed. Accommodation bondsmen (property owners) apply here.
Calls, mail, and visits
The Sheriff's Office says people held at the detention center can make and receive calls through a contract phone system, receive mail and approved messages, and have scheduled visits. Its visitation policy describes two 30-minute video visit slots per week plus one paid remote visit, scheduled in advance through SmartInmate, and asks visitors to check in at the lobby kiosk at 950 California Avenue before the visit with photo ID. Rules can change; read the visitation policy and inmate contact page, or call 864-596-3424 with questions.
To be notified when someone is released, South Carolina's free SAVIN notification service lets anyone sign up anonymously.
Courts
Which court hears a criminal case depends on who made the arrest and how serious the charge is. Most of the county's courts, including the city's municipal court, are in the Spartanburg County Courthouse at 180 Magnolia Street. When in doubt, call the number for the court on your ticket.
Spartanburg Municipal Court
180 Magnolia Street, Suite 1134, Courtroom 1E, Spartanburg, SC 29306
City of Spartanburg arrests. Moved into the Spartanburg County Courthouse in January 2024. Sessions Monday to Thursday; office open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no window payments after 4:30 p.m. Juror information line: 864-596-2270.
Spartanburg County Magistrate Court (Central)
180 Magnolia Street, 1st Floor, Suite 1119, Spartanburg, SC 29306
County and Highway Patrol cases. Criminal division 864-596-2566; traffic division 864-596-2228; jury trials 864-596-2730; preliminary hearings 864-562-4016. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Fines can be paid online through the county's public index.
Spartanburg County Magistrate Court – Region One (Moore)
5854 Reidville Road, Suite C, Moore, SC 29369
Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Thursday.
Spartanburg County Magistrate Court – Region Two (Boiling Springs)
4224 Highway 9, Boiling Springs, SC 29316
Open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.
Spartanburg County Magistrate Court – Region Three (Cowpens)
112 Foster Street, Cowpens, SC 29330
Afternoon and evening hours: noon to 6 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
Spartanburg County Clerk of Court – General Sessions
180 Magnolia Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 2100, Spartanburg, SC 29306
General Sessions handles felonies and cases moved up from a lower court; the clerk also handles bonds posted in General Sessions cases. Defendants must keep the clerk updated with any change of address. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Law enforcement
Spartanburg Police Department
206 N. Forest Street, Spartanburg, SC 29301
City police headquarters since 2023. The Records Division here handles copies of police and accident reports.
Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office
8045 Howard Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303
Patrols unincorporated Spartanburg County. The number above is non-emergency; the front desk is 864-503-4500.
S.C. Highway Patrol – Troop Three, Post D (Spartanburg)
131 Community College Drive, Ledbetter Building, Spartanburg, SC 29303
State troopers covering Spartanburg County; Highway Patrol arrests are booked at the county detention center. Troop Three headquarters, which covers the Upstate, is at 33 Villa Road, Suite 200, Greenville, 864-552-5000.
Prosecutor, public defender, and the bondsman regulator
Seventh Circuit Solicitor's Office
180 Magnolia Street, 5th Floor, Suite 5108, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Prosecutes criminal cases in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Seventh Circuit Public Defender (Spartanburg County)
180 Magnolia Street, Suite 2137, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Represents people the court finds unable to afford a lawyer. State law sets a $40 application fee, which the clerk can waive or reduce. Apply as early as possible.
S.C. Department of Insurance – Bondsman licensing
1201 Main Street, Suite 1000, Columbia, SC 29201
Licenses professional, surety, and runner bondsmen and takes complaints, including a separate complaint form for violations of the premium rules. Bondsman licensing email: [email protected]. Main number 803-737-6160.
Jails in neighboring counties
If the arrest happened outside Spartanburg County, the person is usually held in that county's jail, and bond is set there. Bail bond companies serving these counties are in the [directory](/directory/).
Greenville County Detention Center
20 McGee Street, Greenville, SC 29601
Greenville County's jail.
Cherokee County Detention Center
315 E. Dr. L. M. Rosemond Lane, Gaffney, SC 29340
Cherokee County shares the Seventh Judicial Circuit (solicitor and public defender) with Spartanburg County.
Union County Detention Center
1657 Jonesville Highway, Union, SC 29379
Phone number from the state SAVIN county contact list. The county says video visits are scheduled through CIDNET, not at the detention center.
Johnson Detention Center (Laurens County)
154 Templeton Road, Laurens, SC 29360
The Sheriff's Office says bond court on weekends and county holidays is held at 9 a.m. only. Booking 864-683-4783; visitation 864-683-4785.
Bail and bond in one paragraph
South Carolina law starts from release on your own recognizance, with no money up front, unless the judge decides more is needed to make sure the person comes back to court or to protect the public (S.C. Code § 17-15-10). If a surety bond is set, it can be paid in full in cash, partly in cash if the judge allows, signed by a property owner as an accommodation bondsman, or posted by a licensed professional bondsman for a premium that state law caps at 15 percent of the bond (S.C. Code § 38-53-170). The premium is not refunded, even if the charge is dropped. Laws and fees can change. More in the guides, and licensed companies in the directory.